How Waterwise are you?

You will probably be aware that many parts of the southern and eastern England are in drought.

The last two years have been the driest since records began, with Thames Water’s London and Thames Valley region receiving below-average rainfall for 20 of the past 25 months!

As a result, groundwater – that’s the water which keeps rivers flowing throughout the year – is in some parts of the region close to the lowest levels ever recorded, and many of the smaller rivers feeding the River Thames have fallen to exceptionally low levels for the time of year.

The River Pang in Berkshire is running at just a third of its average flow where it joins the Thames at Pangbourne; and has dried up completely from Bucklebury to its source at Compton!

And water is pretty important – did you know 70% of our bodies are made up of it!

.As the weather cannot be controlled, everyone needs to play their part in cutting down on their water use to limit the effects of drought – because the less we use, the more there’ll be to go round later.

From 5 April, a temporary ban on many outdoor uses will be in place and will remain until further notice. This will prevent activities such as washing your parent’s cars, watering the garden or filling up a paddling pool with a hosepipe..

So how can you help?

Did you know that a running tap can use six litres of water per minute?
So when you’re cleaning your teeth, turn off the tap when brushing – just turn it on when you need to wet your brush and rinse your mouth.

Did you know that a shower, on average, uses 10 litres of water a minute?
So rather than spending hours in the shower, keep the water running say for only 4 minutes.

Did you know that to get a cold glass of water, there’s no need to run the water until it gets cold?
Just keep a jug of water in the fridge. And remember to top it up every time you use some.

Thames Water is offering their customers free water-saving gadgets – including showerheads, tap inserts and toilet cistern devices – which could help reduce household water use by up to a quarter. Order yours at thameswater.co.uk/waterwisely